Parks Canada working on Icefields Parkway upgrades

The Icefields Parkway is due for a facelift.

Parks Canada has put together a “draft strategic concept” that will guide updates to the Icefields Parkway, or Highway 93, over the years to come. “It’s intended to describe the Icefields Parkway at its future best,” said Jasper National Park superintendent Greg Fenton.

Though a specific action plan hasn’t been set out, Fenton said the areas that will be updated range from road surface to educational experience. 

“But we haven’t fully articulated the whole range of things,” he said. “Those would be identified in an action plan, and then we have to figure out what can we afford.”

Because of its likely high price tag, the project, which should be rolling by next summer, will be drawn out over time. “A multi-year investment plan would support that,” Fenton said. “But the intent would be to start implementing actions on the ground next fiscal year.”

One area that may be addressed, as an example, Fenton said, is the use of recreational vehicles (RVs) on the parkway. 

“Times have changed in the camping world in terms of what people are using, they’re not using tents as much and there are more RVs on the parkway,” he said. “And many of the campgrounds, particularly those on the Icefields weren’t built to take the size of the unit, so we’re going to be looking at feasibility of making some adjustments.”

The roadway surface and maintenance requirements will be addressed, as well as learning experiences and whether they meet the needs of user groups. “Using new technology more effectively than we are,” he said. “If we had Podcasts on our website, people could pull them down as part of pre-trip planning and listen while they’re on the parkway.”

The Icefields hasn’t been neglected entirely, as work was being done on it as recently as last summer. “There are a number of things that are actually happening on the ground now that will be rolled into the strategic concept and action plan,” Fenton said, adding recent bridge work is one such example.

The Icefields Parkway is the 230 km road running between Jasper and Banff National Parks, home to the Icefields Centre as well as a number of day use areas, trailheads, hostels and campsites. Because the highway crosses the border between the parks, administrators from both are working together.

“It crosses two administrative units, so it has been recognized that we need to coordinate our efforts a little bit more than we have in the past,” Fenton said, adding that’s one reason the strategy is necessary. “So having a strategy and action plan that guides the activities… it will assist us in doing a better job of that.”

Information about the strategy was released at a planning forum in Banff at the end of last month and reported in newspapers in that town.

An advisory committee of members from the aboriginal community, environmental groups, businesses, tourism, and the provincial government, has been formed to work with Parks on the strategy. Following a meeting between Parks and the advisory committee at the end of next week, the draft strategic concept will be made more broadly available, Fenton said. 

“We’re looking at what are the specifics that are required and place those things within the action plan,” he added. 

“The strategic concept provides the overall direction for understanding who the visitor is, identifying the gaps between, whether it’s camping opportunities or learning opportunities, and then developing actions that would more appropriately enhance their experience and/or enhance our ability to protect the resources.”  

Some key actions presently identified in the draft plan include:

• Review facilities and infrastructure (day use areas, pull-offs, viewpoints, picnic spots and campgrounds) to identify ways to enhance enjoyment;

• Address the needs and safety of visitors, improve operational efficiencies and reduce environmental impacts by consolidating, redesigning or revitalizing facilities;

• Cluster opportunities, for example at picnic areas, to include formal strolling opportunities, play areas for children and learning opportunities, where feasible;

• Use highway signs and exhibits at Howse Pass and Hardisty viewpoints to highlight the significance of Howse and Athabasca Passes as national historic sites;

• Remove brush and selected trees at key locations to improve the view and promote safety of wildlife and visitors;

• Redesign sensitive wildlife viewing areas, such as the Mountain Goat Viewpoint and Tangle Hill, to address safety, quality of experience and wildlife issues;

• Work with Aboriginal groups to determine the need for a site or sites for ceremonial use along the parkway;

• Review the needs of cyclists and develop appropriate options; and,

• Develop and implement a strategy to ensure drivers comply with the speed limit.

Source: The Rocky Mountain Outlook (story available at AMPPE.org)